This content was updated for accuracy and relevance on October 21st, 2020. When cold season strikes or you’re feeling run-down, smoothies are healthy drinks that can be one of the natural ways to boost your immune system and your energy. They’re arguably the best drink for cold season, easy to throw together, can be customized based on your favorite flavors, and are chock-full of vitamins and nutrients. If you’re in a rush because you’re busy with work and school schedules, you can even meal prep your smoothies ahead of time and keep them on hand for the week ahead. Smoothies are one of the quickest things to create when you’re practicing healthy eating. You should also consider enhancing your healthy drink choice by adding probiotics to your smoothies to better support the immune boosting effects. There are drinkable probiotics and capsules and there are dairy free, gluten free, organic and vegan probiotic options. If you’ve been considering trying supplements, but are unsure how many supplements you can take or what kind you should buy we’re here to help! From citrus smoothies to green smoothies, check out these delicious immune boosting smoothie ingredients and recipes to get some inspiration. We’ve filled our list with a variety of delicious drinks that will help keep those colds away and get you glowing from the inside out. Immune Boosting Smoothie Ingredients Here are some of our favorite immune boosting ingredients to add to your grocery list. Remember, when you're throwing an immune boosting smoothie together, you can't go wrong with tons of veggies and produce. Eat the rainbow, and your immune system will thank you. Almonds Ginger Garlic Spinach Yogurt Turmeric Papaya Kiwi Apple Carrot Orange Beets Broccoli Elderberry Watermelon Kale Grapefruit Celery Mango Strawberry 1. Elderberry Smoothie When colds, cases of flu, and viruses run rampant, it’s time to bust out the elderberry. Elderberry is an immune boosting ingredient commonly seen in cough syrups and cough drops. This Elderberry Immune Boosting Smoothie from Heartfully Nourished is made with elderberry juice, water, grapefruit, raspberries, blueberries, and mangoes. It’s rich in vitamins and nutrients and is a perfect immune boosting smoothie to add to your list. 2. Green Smoothie A classic green smoothie is one of our all-time favorite immune boosting drink recipes. Depending on the flavors you prefer, you can make a green smoothie with kale, spinach, or both and add ingredients like apple, almonds, and mango. Our Immune Booster Green Smoothie recipe is healthy, refreshing, and packed with probiotics, as well as fresh fruit juice and vegetable juice (we even list ingredients for a protein addition as well). Our recipe includes spinach and kale, arugula, mixed greens, banana, wild blueberries, strawberries, mango, apple, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, almonds, oat bran, hemp seeds, Bio-K+® probiotics, unsweetened soy milk, greek yogurt, and flavorless protein powder. If you’re looking to make this smoothie even easier to prepare, meal prep your ingredients ahead of time, then chop them up, toss them in a freezer bag, and use a permanent marker to label them. Anytime you need an immune boosting green smoothie, pop one in the blender, and let the ingredients work their magic. 3. Citrus Smoothie When the winter months strike, and the colds come on, the citrus smoothies flourish. Citrus is a fantastic way to crush your cold and boost your immunity. This Immune Boosting Winter Citrus Smoothie from Half Baked Harvest is layered with color and packed with flavor. The red layer features beets, frozen raspberries, oranges, and pomegranate juice, while the orange layer boasts mangos, ginger, turmeric, a pinch of cayenne, and more orange. Packed with vitamin C, this smoothie is sure to strengthen the immune system and cure those wintertime blues. 4. Carrot Ginger Mango and Turmeric Smoothie No immune boosting smoothie list would be complete without showing some love to turmeric. Turmeric is immunity-boosting, anti-inflammatory, and an overall wonder ingredient. Our Carrot Ginger Mango and Turmeric Smoothie is as delicious as it is pretty. It’s made with just seven ingredients — coconut water (or sub apple juice), Bio-K+® probiotics, frozen mango, carrot, ginger, turmeric, and honey. It’s packed with vitamins and nutrients and has a beautiful, vibrant orange color with a clean and light feel. Enjoy this for breakfast or a snack when you need some extra energy. 5. Blue Banana Smoothie If you prefer your immune boosting smoothie with a hint of blue, this one’s for you. This Blue Banana Smoothie from Eat Right is almost too pretty to drink. Sometimes, the best smoothies to boost immune system strength are also the simplest. This one calls for milk, frozen banana sliced, and frozen blueberries. You can jazz it up with some optional boosts like fresh baby spinach, plain yogurt, or even oatmeal. Throw in some flax seeds for some extra nutrients, honey for a bit of sweetness, and a dash or two of cinnamon. 6. Carrot Ginger Citrus Smoothie Carrot adds beta-carotene — ginger adds zest — and citrus adds a whole bunch of vitamins. That’s why this Carrot Ginger Citrus Smoothie from Vanilla and Bean hits all the right notes for top smoothies to boost immune system strength. It’s filled with turmeric and is super easy to throw together. When you're craving a vegan or gluten free smoothie that will add some sunshine to your day, whip this one up and prepare to feel good from the inside out. 7. Tahini Date Smoothie Battle your hunger and sweet tooth cravings with a creamy, protein-rich, immune boosting smoothie. Perfect for times when you’re looking for a delicious yet healthy snack, our Tahini Date Smoothie is sure to leave you feeling good and happy. The best part about this immune boosting smoothie is that it tastes just like a milkshake. You’ll only need seven ingredients to make this heart-healthy smoothie! Choose your choice of milk (dairy or non-dairy), add a banana, some tahini, Bio-K+® probiotics, dates, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon to finish it off. 8. Magic Immune Boosting Smoothie From the vitamin D in Greek yogurt to the vitamin C, D, B6, and B12 found in the kiwi, this Magic Immune Boosting Smoothie from Feel Great in 8 packs a powerful punch. Greens and pineapple chunks add nutrients and flavor, while a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseed strengthen the immune cells (thanks to their omega 3s). Make a big batch of this recipe and share it with the whole family to keep away those pesky cold and flu symptoms. 9. Broccoli Smoothie Call us crazy, but if you haven’t been putting broccoli in your weekly smoothie routine, you’re missing out. Although not as commonly used as some of its other green smoothie ingredients, like kale or spinach, broccoli can easily be tossed into your immune boosting drink recipes when you have it on hand. You can use raw broccoli, frozen broccoli, or even steamed broccoli! In this Broccoli Smoothie Recipe from Salt & Baker, broccoli is combined with mango, banana, strawberries, spinach, and pineapple juice for a colorful and healthy drink. If you’re not a fan of broccoli’s flavor, rest assured, you won’t even know it’s there. 10. Banana and Almond Smoothie Almonds are another wonderful immune boosting food. Once combined with other easy ingredients like bananas and some unsweetened almond milk (or flavored milk if that's what you prefer), an almond smoothie can truly shine. This Banana and Almond Smoothie from Cookie and Kate is one of our favorites — it’s simple, delicious, and healthy (yet it tastes like a creamy, dreamy treat). It’s made with frozen banana, a heaping spoonful of almond butter, flaxseed, almond milk, honey, and a tiny drop of almond extract. The almond extract is optional, but as the author mentions, it makes this healthy smoothie taste like candy. 11. Strawberry Smoothie Sometimes, nothing hits the spot like a simple strawberry smoothie. This Strawberry Smoothie from Well Plated is made with immunity-boosting ingredients like yogurt, almond butter, almond milk, and of course — strawberries. These simple ingredients combine for a healthy and wholesome treat that can be enjoyed by the whole family. If you want a boost of extra protein, add some protein powder. The plain Greek yogurt will give you protein too, and ensure that you’re filled up and fueled for the afternoon ahead. You can also make this smoothie ahead of time, then place it in an airtight jar and keep it refrigerated for 1 day. Bio-K+® When you’re tossing together your smoothies, don’t forget to add some of our Bio-K+® probiotics. Choose from milk-based or dairy-free products in flavors like vanilla, strawberry, or original. Our products support digestive and immune health and contain 50 billion 100% probiotic bacteria per 3.5 fl. Oz bottle. Whether you’re whipping up a simple strawberry smoothie or a green smoothie, adding immune boosting smoothie recipes to your weekly diet will ward off the flu and colds and keep you feeling happy and healthy. Smoothies are quick to make, easy to drink, and are packed with plenty of wholesome vitamins and nutrients. Plus, they’re something the whole family can enjoy. From all of us at Bio-K+® — have a good day and stay healthy. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about how to build your immune system, drinks to boost immune system or our immune boosting probiotic products or need some more smoothie inspiration. We’re always here to help. Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system https://www.healthline.com/health/juice-immune-system-boost
